When Tyler Herro was asked at media day which player would step up in his place with the All-Star guard out for the first month of the season, he quickly shouted out Nikola Jovic, adding he expected a “tremendous” season from the young big. Herro’s endorsement speaks to the hype around Jokic entering the season.
Jokic and the Heat have agreed to a four-year, $62.4 million contract extension, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and confirmed by other reports. This is a straight four, no options for either side. That extension is a good deal at just more than $15 million a season (it does not kick in until the 2026-27 season, he will play out his current contract for $4.4 million this season).
Jovic, 22 and entering his fourth season, averaged 10.7 points and 3.9 rebounds a game last season and was taking a step forward until he broke his hand in February, ending his season. The hype for Jovic only grew during EuroBasket, where he averaged 14.7 points and four rebounds a game for Serbia.
Jovic enters camp in a debate about who will be the starting center next to Bam Adebayo, Kel’el Ware or Jovic. The Heat see Ware as their starting center of the future, and he has to be considered the frontrunner, but entering his sophomore season he has a lot of development to do. With Herro out for the first month of the season, Jovic’s shooting (37.1% from 3-point range) and shot creation may be needed more than everything Ware brings. What will Erik Spoelstra and the Heat prioritize?
Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, Jovic is getting paid.
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